Much Needed Tranquility
by FrostofThunder
Summary: Stiles takes a walk in the woods to clear his head.


**Much Needed Tranquility**

The wind blew softly through the trees, the place where everything changed. Leaves crunched under Stiles feet as he walked through the woods with no particular destination. He needed air, space and just time to stop. Life has been a crazy roller-coaster ride since Scott had been bitten and it was given even more twists and turns when Gerard arrived. The thought of that man brought a slight pulsing sensation to where he had beaten him, which was still slightly bruised. He shoved his hands into his hoodie pockets, his right fingering the taser he had snatched from the station a few weeks ago. He knew it was dangerous, to be walking these woods alone with an alpha pack around, but he just wanted to. He knew that the simple weapon might be useless, but having it made him feel that at least he'd be able to put up a fight.

Sometimes he just felt so weak, so vulnerable. He's not like the others, he can't do what they can and he's told Scott this but he felt whether or not his friend knew, it wouldn't make a difference. He found himself at the edge of the woods, where Scott and Allison used to meet. He doesn't know how long he had been sitting on the rock when he hears rustling behind him. His heart begins to beat just a bit faster and he listens carefully. It's a single person, light footsteps. Whoever it was it wasn't Derek or Scott or even Jackson. If it was one of the others from the pack he's sure they would've recognized him even if he did have his hood pulled up, they knew his scent. He could only hope it was Lydia or Allison. Though, Lydia knows better now than to come into these woods alone and Allison was distant from all of them for however long she decided.

Stiles took a breath and held a firm grip on the taser as the footsteps grew closer and closer. He took one more breath. Then he shot up, spun around, whipped out his taser and let out an attempted battle cry. He was countered with a high-pitched screech and birds fleeing from the nearby trees as a girl jumped and brought her arms up to defend herself.

The taser crackled as their beating hearts began to slow, each taking deep breaths.

"Oh my god, you scared the crap out of me," the young girl said.

They looked at each other.

Stiles studied the girl who looked no older them him. He had never seen her before. She had shoulder length, frizzy brown hair which was a wavy mess. It was her eyes though that Stiles found himself entranced with. They were so green and bright.

"Hey," the girl snapped him out of his trance. "Can you put the taser down please?"

"Oh, uh, yeah, sorry," Stiles stuttered as he lowered the weapon. "Sorry about that."

The girl smiled as she ran her hand through her hair and let out a laugh.

"It's okay; I shouldn't have snuck up on you like that."

She scratched the back of her head as they stood in awkward silence. Stiles shook himself out of the slight daze he was in.

"I'm, uh, you can call me Stiles. Again, sorry about that," He shifted uncomfortably on his feet when the girl's smile grew as she made a face. "What?"

"_Stiles?_" she said. "Not your real name?" Stiles shrugged. "Well, if we're being cryptic you can call me…" she looked up to the sky and smiled. "Xylia," she said. Stiles could she was very proud of the code name she had come up for herself.

"Okay…Xyyyyyylia," she nodded at the proper pronunciation. "It's nice to meet you."

"And you," she replied.

They both laughed.

The leaves began to rustle as the wind picked up. Stiles and Xylia were sharing a rock and gazing out over the town.

"You're not from around here are you?" Stiles asked.

It took Xylia a few seconds to answer. "No. Not particularly."

Stiles found that answer just a tad odd but he let it slide. They just met, he didn't need to know everything about the girl right away, and he didn't want to come off as a creeper. So they just began to talk. About various things or whatever one can come up with. They fell into a comfortable silence having exhausted many of their spoken topics. The wind began to pick up as Stiles noticed the sun starting to set. He had lost track of how long they had been talking, but he was enjoying himself. It was nice, he sort of felt like a teenager again, before all the werewolves and hunters and kanima stuff.

"Are you okay?" Xylia suddenly asked. Stiles turned to her with confusion on his face. She brought her hand to her face and tapped her cheek.

"Oh, yeah, it's nothing. It's…nothing."

"Everything is something. Otherwise it wouldn't exist."

"Well maybe some things just shouldn't exist."

Stiles doesn't know where his sudden tone came from and he felt a lump beginning to form in his throat. He wasn't just thinking about werewolves now, but pain, sorrow, death. Especially death. Death had taken away someone he loved and now he feels closer than ever to death and he's frightened that it's going to snatch another of his loved ones. He let out a shaky sigh.

It just wasn't fair.

"Sorry," he muttered.

"It's getting late," Xylia said as she stood up and stretched. "It's dangerous in these woods at night isn't it?"

Stiles stood up as well and noticed the sun was nearly set. He followed her lead and stretched too, his joints cracking. "Yeah, it is."

They walked in silence, leaves and branches crunching under their feet as the only noise between them.

"I have to go this way," Xylia said pointing to the left as Stiles drifted to the right.

"Oh, okay. It was really nice meeting you." Stiles was sad to see her go, he had a nice time with her, the strange girl he met in the woods.

"You too," she said as she began walking. "Willow, by the way." She stopped and turned around. "My name is Willow."

Stiles smiles, she did too.

"I'll see you around Stiles."

Stiles stayed where he was and watched her go.

"Will I?" he said to her retreating figure.

She didn't turn this time and kept walking. "Possibly," she replied.

He started to walk away, but noticed his lace had come undone and bent down to tie his shoe.

"And Stiles," he heard Willow shout.

"Yeah?" he yelled back as he continued to tie his shoe.

"Things are more dangerous than they've ever been. Don't stray too far from the pack."

Stiles eyes widened at what she just said and he whipped around, but she was gone. He stood there in shock. She knew, but…how…

Stiles looked around the silent and now empty woods and his heart began to race. He made his way quickly back to his jeep. He pulled out his keys and raced to open the door but stopped. He saw a piece of folded paper under his windshield. He stared at it before he grabbed it quickly and slid into his jeep. He sat there and tried to calm his once again racing heart. He looked down at the paper that was now crumpled in his tight grip. He opened it and started at the single word written in all caps.

_WALDGEIST_

The minute Stiles arrived home he ran to his room and booted up his laptop and searched the word.

He was a bit confused when a bunch of German restaurants came up, but he finally found an article that made the most sense involving his current situation.

Waldgeist was German for 'woodland spirit' that was believed to live in forests and protect those who entered with a 'pure spirit.' Stiles continued to read and saw that they were believed to be able to predict the future and could possibly grant wishes to a person with a kind heart.

Stiles sat and stared at his screen. He could grasp the fact of werewolves existing and it might have taken a bit more time to come to terms with the kanima, but woodland spirits? He tapped his finger on his keyboard and thought. He typed in the name Xylia and its meaning.

He let out a shallow laugh at the results.

Of Greek origin, meaning "woodland or wood-dweller."

It was just a coincidence, right? That's all it was, a coincidence.

But Stiles wasn't fooling himself.

He lay in bed that night, unable to sleep, his mind racing. He finally accepted the fact that he had met a forest spirit, but why. Why him? Why on a day he just wanted to be alone and in peace? He doesn't regret spending the time with Willow; he had enjoyed it and was rather upset when it came to an end.

Just as he was about to fall asleep it hit him.

Willow.

It took Stiles four days to find it.

No. Not it.

Her.

It was like this part of the woods had never been touched before. Stiles couldn't believe a tree like her even existed in a place like this and felt that she probably shouldn't. He smiled up at her, leaves rocking in the soft breeze. He walked through them and felt safe, protected here under the leaves. He placed a hand on the trunk.

"Willow?" he whispered. He smiled as he could've sworn he heard a faint laugh and felt a warm sensation grow under his hand. He took a seat at the base of the trunk and closed his eyes. He sat and listened to her leaves rustle in the wind.

He didn't tell Scott or anyone else about his encounter. Maybe he was a being a bit selfish or even the possibility of them not believing him, or maybe it was because he felt it wasn't his place to tell others about her.

So, whenever Stiles was feeling overwhelmed, whenever he needed to get away from his now overly hectic life, he would visit Willow. Whether she would take form and sit with him or he'd sit alone at the base, he knew she would always be here for him.

**The End**


End file.
